Society against Darya Klishina

The first act of the drama tentatively titled "Fighting Russian doping system" will definitely be completed at the beginning of the third decade of July. Two weeks left before the start of the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. It will be impossible to further delay the decision on Russian athletes’ case.

At present, prior to the international competition Darya Klishina was the only athlete allowed to participate among all submitted individual requests. The fate of the rest will be decided on July 19 in Lausanne Court of Arbitration for Sport after hearings on the class action to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). A day earlier the independent commission of Richard McLaren in Toronto will unveil the main findings. The commission which worked on the "Sochi" claims of the former head of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory Gregory Rodchenkov.

Considering the circumstances, a positive decision from the arbitration is not to be achieved.

We must be prepared that nor will Isinbayeva nor Shubenkov nor Kuchin perform at Rio. But Klishina for her willingness to perform under the white Olympic flag, has already been sentenced by society for “betrayal”.

The problem is not that Darya Klishina has a very little chance to win an Olympic medal. And not that she has been training and living in the US for three years already. And not even the fact that Klishina expressed gratitude for "an informed decision," including the IAAF (interestingly enough, for admission to the Rio was she supposed to spit in the face of Sebastian Coe’s agency?).

The reality is, a monster we have awakened, nurtured and cherished. Good that Klishina is not sentenced to death, the rest has already been said. And not in a state of overexcitement, but by conviction. Didn’t voluntarily refuse to participate showing solidarity with her comrades, - then that must be an act of treason.

It is time for the Kremlin to be frightened – patriotism games have gone too far. Monster is often tried to be calmed down and to be reasoned, but its roar already overlaps all the voices in defence to Klishina. Protection is not very convincing, with reservations, to not severely tease a mass audience. And the latter is busy searching for enemies. Traitors. Betrayers. Failed patriots.

I wonder if Yelena Isinbayeva would be in current situation, even while living abroad, would she have chosen the same tactics to protect her rights, the ones nowadays? Or, received a "pass" (and she would certainly get it while living in Italy), have agreed to the proposed terms? However, Isinbayeva now lives in her native Volgograd and does not meet the declared IAAF criteria, and therefore is rejected. Now she is following the minister Vitaly Mutko and encourages to dismiss the international athletics department as an organization, which was discredited.

Isinbayeva said that she would go to the very end. And Peskov said the same thing. And Mutko. And a lot of people. God grant that sports arbitrage will be heeded, IIAF be shamed, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) be softened, and the International Olympic Committee will open a way to Rio for all. But Darya Klishina, cover girl, what had she done already? She did not betray her homeland. She has published quite adequate answers in response to complaints of a respectable audience. She has expressed hope for a happy ending of this whole monstrous story.

But they are ready to grind her to dust just because Klishina initially behaved as a free person.

... The criteria, which the members of the All-Russian disqualified athletics federation had to meet to be in Rio, were not feasible initially. Klishina met the criteria (lives abroad, checked there with the anti-doping agencies, not with the Russian ones), and the rest of athletes did not. Coe agency, strongly preoccupied by its stained image, would not go backwards.

I do not want to guess how the "processes” will end in Toronto and Lausanne. Russia messed up a lot, and no one knows what else to expect. On that other side – little is done as well. Of course, we deserved to be punished. But the option to lump everyone together is not the most noble. Vulnerable. At least - legally.

And with the defence, separation of "pure from the impure," and other measures of our brave officials life has got worse.

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